Digimon : Project Destiny
by TuckersBody
Summary: When the entire Network is threatened by the greatest forces of the Dark Area, God is once again forced to turn to the Analog World for assistance. Teens Cassi Newman and Roy Carver are selected to battle alongside Meicoomon, Wormmon and the Digimon of Eden as they stand against Hell's Foot Soldiers. With just two DigiDestined leading the army, can God's warriors prevail?
1. Prologue : The Dream

The night chirped quietly with the song of crickets and owls, the sky passed silently over a peaceful suburban neighborhood. The rows of identical homes were asleep, windows dark with no signs of life inside, the exception a corner house with a strange flicker of energy pulsating inside. The lights blinked on and off while the electronics beeped and crackled with static energy. The family's only child stirred, body hidden beneath piles of pastel blankets and over-fluffed pillows. The phone plugged in on his bedside table glowed with still, blue light. The screen flickered occasionally, almost in time with the sleeping teen's haphazard tossing.

In the fog of his subconscious, Kit Bradley found himself in the bedroom of a proper, astute young blonde. She was concentrated on a laptop at her antique desk as he looked around the room, observing the white and wooden décor that screamed of a high-walled world lived in ignorant bliss. He couldn't help wonder why he would be spending his REM cycle in this bedroom… A glimpse over her shoulder revealed a truer image of the person Kit was observing. Her eyes were focused on a charity foundation's crowd-funding campaign. As if she knew he wanted to see what else she was looking at, she clicked over to a video with millions of views, likes and shares. The video frame was paused on an image of her standing at a podium with her fist raised before a sea of people. She looked back over at the crowd-funding page and he realized she was watching the meter measuring the donations, the goal still unmet. She pushed up from the desk and turned her back to the glaring screen, pacing as she tried to calm herself. Kit took her place in the chair, willing the small space of empty still lingering in the meter to fill. He jumped back up at the sound of digitized fanfare. She pushed the chair aside and gripped the edge of her desk, eyes welling with tears as she saw the goal accomplished. He clutched his chest, empathizing with the swelling pride that rolled off of her. He had the intense urge to high five her but remembered she couldn't see him, his hand stopping mid-rise. She pulled out her phone to spread word, her fingers flying in excitement as Kit watched her words form from over her shoulder. Their attention was pulled back to the laptop as it let off a high-pitched, shrill alarm. Kit and dream girl approached the screen side by side, eyes fixated on the sight of the screen swirling with bright, golden light. The energy began to pour from the laptop, heat emanating from it and warming the two teens. Kit backed away, hesitant as the girl leaned in to inspect it. She jumped slightly as a distorted, booming voice spoke from somewhere inside the energy mass. The energy had begun enveloping her as it spoke, but she didn't struggle or make any attempt to flee. Kit tried to hear the words being spoken to her only to realize when she responded that it wasn't the voice he couldn't understand but the audio of the dream itself that was wrong. He fidgeted with his ears in an attempt to catch some information and in the instant he looked down and back up the girl was gone, no trace that she or the golden goo had ever been there at all.

A pixelated wall erased the scene around Kit and built a new one as it returned to wherever it came from. He now faced a staircase lined with photos of a troupe of goofy redheads posing together in various locations, sometimes with other families or friends, clearly doing some sort of relief or missionary work. He turned to find a modest yet comfortable living room, empty aside for one of the brothers from the photo wall sitting on the couch in the glow of a television. The blonde from Kit's last dream scene was displayed in a still on TV, the star of the evening news. An anchor was relaying the progress of the crowdfunding campaign and attributing the sudden interest in the cause to the girls rallying. Kit watched the captions under the screen, still unable to make out any spoken words. The newscaster was counting down the remaining time for donations to be submitted. Kit's stomach tightened as he felt a wave of impatience for the results. He looked over at the lanky, freckled young man to see his knee bouncing while he glanced at a wristwatch. He shook his head as the last few seconds were announced and powered off the television. He chuckled to himself as he leaned back into the couch cushions. Kit's stomach unclenched, and he realized the teen before him just wanted to hear confirmation that the cause he believed in was a success. Kit knew already of course and wanted to tell him, but he could feel a sense of ease and assuredness settling in now that the sensationalized coverage was off. Kit wasn't the only one who knew the results, even if he was the only one who'd seen them. The redhead sat in silence, breathing and humming and glancing once more at his watch. Kit's mind wandered as he waited to see what would happen, wondering if this guy and the girl had ever met, or if there was any link between them besides this cause. He wondered what his involvement was with these two strangers, and why he was witnessing their lives in his sleep. Dream boy got up from the couch and moved to the television, turning it back on with a smile just as the newscaster announced that the numbers had come in. He didn't need to watch to know his support had been well-placed and he had helped further something he believed in but he definitely wanted to see the proof on screen. Kit's eyes welled up, the feeling of validation and pride in his chest mirrored from whoever-he-was. He flipped the TV off again and turned away, cleaning up the area he'd settled into for the coverage. Kit looked around, searching for any sign that pointed to why he was there. The powered down television suddenly came to life with the same shrill, high pitched alarm that had announced the golden energy of the last dream. Kit and the other teen jerked around to see a silver light radiating from the screen. They walked forward together as the screen melted into a molten mass of silver, swirling energy. Redhead knelt closer, confusion and intrigue heavy on his brow as he reached out a hand. The light was warm again, and this time Kit could make out the word 'destiny' in the garbled audio. Kit tried to touch the energy himself this time, but as the guy in front of him was absorbed, Kit was repelled and left to wait for the pixelated wall to update his scene.

Kit scanned the odd trees surrounding him, the strange colored leaves and too-perfect trunks causing him to panic slightly. Nothing familiar marked the terrain and he felt out of place in the alien land. The two from his dreams stumbled from behind a wall of foliage, dressed in all white uniforms. The blonde girl had a skirted bottom and golden accents while her counterpart wore pants and silver accents, otherwise they matched perfectly. They seemed to be just as unfamiliar with the area as Kit, looking in all directions without any clear path.

"Roy, we walked in a circle," the girl stated bluntly, stopping to cross her arms.

He skidded to a halt and turned, huffing. "How could you possibly know that, Cassi? Everything looks the exact same out here."

"Wait, look!" She grabbed his arm and pulled her in the direction of her pointed index finger. Kit followed her gesture to a hidden gate between a cluster of hedges. He followed Cassi and Roy as they opened it and stepped through into a small, peaceful village. He walked through their suddenly frozen figures, looking back at them in confusion and then down in the direction of their gazes.

Two small, strange creatures blinked expectantly up at the humans. Hanging from a branch just in front of Roy was a bug-like green animal wearing a spiked, brown shell over its lower body. The other, a tiger-striped fuzzball with pointed ears and mischievous eyes batted its feather duster tail while it stared at Cassi.

"Sophia! Seki! Get back here!" The small animals looked back at a purple loin-clothed angel hidden under white exoskin hovering with his crescent-tipped staff poised to attack.

Roy and Cassi simultaneously stepped over their admirers and instinctively braced themselves. Orbs of light expanded in the air before them, the silver at Roy's chest and the gold at Cassi's. Inside the bubbles of light hovered what looked to be ordinary cell phones.

The angelic man relaxed when he saw them, a smile breaking his warrior façade. "Ah, it's you."

Kit watched in excitement, his dream somehow developing into a movie in his mind. He almost wished he had popcorn.

The scene changed again around him.

Roy and Cassi stood back to back in a distorted, dark version of the forest they'd arrived in. Seki, the green insectoid creature, floated before Roy while Sophia, the fuzzy cat head, hissed from Cassi's arms. They were surrounded by a group of oversized larva and frighteningly large arachnids. As the menacing pests let off streams of electrified webbing white light jumped from the devices they'd received to the creatures that now defended them.

"Minomon Digivolve to…" Seki shed his shell, revealing a long, segmented caterpillar body. His short legs ended in talons and the tip of his tail sprouted menacing pincers and a single black band appeared around the tip. "Wormmon!"

"NyaCoomon Digivolve to…" A small, rotund torso grew from Sophia's fuzzy head and four wobbly legs and oversized paws extended from there. Her face developed slight canine features, her snout extending and pointed ears folding into lopped tips. "SalaMeimon!"

"Woah!" Cassi's arms flew open as Sophia broke free and let off a ball of air that deflected webbing away from her partner.

"What was that?!" Roy leaned in to inspect Seki's new form as the larva creature used its tail pincers to launch a blade of energy at the threads.

Seki landed facing his partner. "That is what we call 'Digivolution.'"

"And we couldn't have done it without you and your Digivices!" Sophia added, winking at Cassi.

The humans looked from the phone-like devices in their palms to their newly changed partners.

Kit bounced with glee, unable to contain himself as the four returned their attention to the bugs to take them on together. Just as they moved to strike, Kit was moved to another forested area. The bugs were now countless and in the company of other strange beings. Giant, walking mushrooms and reptilian flowers and thug-dressed cockroaches stood alongside more of the larva and spider beasts. Strange, sentient plant bulbs with prehensile vines lined the risen ridges bordering the sunken in clearing where Cassi, Sophia, Roy and Seki stood. Above them hovered giant, bright red beetles with deadly sharp pincers and horns and claws. Kit swallowed, nervous despite being untouchable in his dream state.

Sophia howled a gust of wind strong enough to knock over the frontlines while Seki spit sticky webbing at their foes to keep them stuck in place. Roy and Cassi looked to each other and nodded, wearing confident smirks as they raised their Digivices. A golden, metallic whip unfurled from Cassi's with a crack. A thin, silver rapier extended from Roy's. They turned to fight off enemies at their rear, surprising Kit by moving with deadly and precise movements. The beetles descended to make their move.

Roy and Seki stood in a cavern, flecks of green energy rising from the small, fallen ogres lining the floor around them. Cassi lay crumpled in a cage built into the rock wall, Sophia hanging in a separate cage on the other side of the bars. Roy huffed, stumbling forward onto one knee while his upper body stayed supported by his rapier. An ogre much larger than those disintegrating on the cave floor sauntered forward, staying close to Cassi's cage to keep her out of Roy's reach. A brown twin ogre and a short, round, humanoid with tattoos and body hair flanked the first. He raised his large bone club and his lackeys rushed at Roy and Seki. Roy bowed his head, as if waiting for the outcome. His Digivice glowed with bright, silver light and he touched the tip of his rapier to Seki's tail pincers.

"Wormmon Digivolve to…" The glow from the rapier overcame his body, and the expanded outward to form a swirling sphere of silver energy. It dispersed, and an insecto-humanoid towered over Roy in Wormmon's place. "Stingmon!" Kit shielded his eyes as the sleek new Seki thrust a crackling blade of energy toward his enemies.

His hand moved to reveal Cassi and Sophia facing off against two monstrous chickens on, the field around them singed by previous attacks. Cassi had one with flaming feathers tethered with her whip while Sophia yapped balls of air at its flameless counterpart. The SalaMeimon was plucked from the air and tossed aside as her enemy advanced on Cassi. She looked back and used the flaming farm bird to dodge a blast of green fire from its friend. Her whip loosened on the fire chicken and it used the extra length to toss her out from under it. SalaMeimon scrambled up, snarling as she rushed at them. Cassi's eyes clung shut, gripping her whip and hanging from one beak while another pecked at her. A flash of golden light burst from Cassi's whip and flew for Sophia.

"SalaMeimon Digivolve to…" She was swallowed by the gold light and then returned, her canine features replaced by that of a feline. The orange-colored, long-furred cat with appendages sprouting from under its cowl continued its trajectory toward the enemy foul. "Meicoomon!" Her crackling claws drew an X as they lashed out, releasing a wave of electrical energy that slammed into her original adversary. She pounced from the first fallen body to the other chicken, still swinging Cassi around from its beak.

Kit turned to look for Roy and Seki, only to be swept to watch the four he'd been following face off against a black cat-like creature. Almost immediately he was replaced again to observe a battle with an icy demon, followed by a tentacled underwater beast and then a ferocious, bladed wolf. Kit's dream slowed enough for him to watch Seki become a jewel-armored insect warrior, and Roy's rapier evolved from the battle with the wolf into a battle with a floating, cloaked figure wielding a scythe. Kit felt himself grow dizzy as the scene rapid-changed again through Sophia's next evolution into a feline humanoid, Cassi's whip developing into a more powerful version and a battle with a large-brained, extraterrestrial creature.

He was ejected from the scenes whirling around him onto a grassy field. He collapsed, trying to breath. While his dream morphed around him to create the Cassi and Roy montage, he had experienced more than the visual and audio of their adventures. Kit could feel the fear, anger, sadness, worry, victory, joy, love, the pure emotion of a war he still couldn't understand overwhelming his mind while his body ached from exertion and abuse he hadn't endured. He had somehow slipped into their very beings in his subconscious. As his breath evened out and the spinning feeling left his mind he pushed up from the ground.

A glance to his left revealed Roy and Cassi at the forefront of a small battalion, Seki and Sophia at their sides while the angelic man from earlier and an array of creatures flanked them. Across the field on Kit's right was an approaching army of demons, beasts and other evil beings led by a vibrantly cloaked humanoid with blades peeking out from every inch left exposed. The opposing forces paused with Kit positioned dead center between them.

Kit blinked and was suddenly standing just behind Cassi and Roy.

"Roy, I'm not sure I'm ready," she looked up at him, shaking with worry.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a confident smile. "We wouldn't be here if you weren't ready." He extended his hand away from his body and his Digivice produced a thin, metallic red rapier with a pronged, jeweled silver hilt and a green shield decorated with one large gem matching those on the blade. He raised his sword and looked ahead at their enemies. "Today we defeat the Foot Soldiers of the Dark Area and reclaim Eden in the name of God!" The allies behind them cheered in response to his cry, running forward into battle.

Cassi, Roy, Sophia, Seki and Kit stood as their legion met the enemy at center of the field with a flurry of energy and claws and weapons. The head of the enemy army also remained still in the sea of his soldiers, watching his targets as they watched him. Roy finally broke his stance and used his shield to barrel through the throngs of battling monsters.

"Roy! No!" Cassi screamed out, golden chains unraveling from her Digivice. She lashed it out, a crooked scythe materializing to bury itself in an enemy aimed at Roy's back.

JewelBeemon and Meicrackmon darted along the chain, slashing into demons converging on their leader. Kit remained paralyzed, watching as an onslaught unfolded before him. Heroes and villains fell and crumbled to sparkling fragments around him. The dream grew foggy, focus blurring out everything but the four he'd followed on a journey through a subconscious land as they dipped and darted and damaged the throngs of shadowy antagonists piling against them. Kit flinched in pain as a gash of red split the skin on his arm. His head snapped to Cassi as she gripped her own wounded, bleeding bicep. Another gash ripped across his chest, Roy leaning back in an attempt to avoid a bladed swipe from his cloaked nemesis. Sophia and Seki fought to get to their partners, pulling against arms and tendrils and teeth. Kit tried to move, watching as Roy's shield shattered over his face. Echoed screams erupted from the dreamer and the dreamed as a razor tore through muscle and bone. Tears poured from Kit's eyes as he cradled his limp left forearm. Roy's landed with a wet thud on the grass beneath his rolling body, barely avoiding the follow through of the attack.

Seki roared out, crimson light blazing from a lance matching his partners sword as he threw himself through anyone standing between him and his human. Cassi and Sophia turned to follow his lead. Cassi's chain whip wrapped around bladed foot as their final enemy's arm poised to strike. Kit pulled against invisible restraints, sobbing in fear and panic and fury, despaired at the reality that he couldn't do anything even if he could move.

Everything went silent. Roy's eyes grew wide as he looked into the hollow smirk of the demon before him. Kit choked, blood dripping from his lips. Cassi fell to her lips, a distorted and slowed scream ripping from her chest. Sophia's tendrils restrained the bladed hands as Seki's lance crushed through his target's chest. Kit looked down, three thin slits gushing blood over his hand, and back up at Seki cradling Roy's limp body and Sophia rushing to Cassi's side. He collapsed to his knees, pressing his hands against his torso hoping to stop the flow. The fog of the dream grew thicker, his eyes blurred and the images around him shifted out of focus.

As he blinked through the sudden urge to sleep, a woman draped in shimmering gold fabric and adorned with golden armor stepped into Kit's view. Silver hair flowed in an unfelt breeze, tossing around the jeweled, golden mask covering her eyes. He blinked, and tried to get up for a better view. She held out her hand, beckoning him stay put. She knelt beside him and touched his back, the wounds vanishing in a soft pink glow. She held out her hand before him, ten golden orbs appearing and swirling with colorful light as they rotated in her hand. Each chose a color and pulsated in that light, white, pink, red, orange, yellow, green, teal, blue, purple and black, and then they dispersed, leaving only the pink as it gently hovered to Kit.

The woman smiled and got back up, disappearing into an ornate, golden gateway.

Kit looked down at the small orb before him. It grew, expanding to become a large egg that nestled itself in his lap. His heart thumped in time with a gentle pulse beneath the fragile shell.

He faded out of consciousness, everything going black as he found a much needed peace in the comfort of his egg.

Sunlight prodded his eyes open. He squinted against it, disoriented as he returned to the real world. He sat up, bombarded with the memories of the dream he'd had and overwhelmed by its vividness. He shook his head, ready to move on from that adventure, and shuffled to his dresser to retrieve his phone. He opened the home screen and saw a notification from an unfamiliar app. He opened it, confused, and saw the egg from his dream displayed on his screen, pulsating slightly as if it were breathing.

A text screen popped up. "You have been chosen." He swiped the app closed and set it facedown.

"Nope." He shook his head as he walked away.


	2. Chapter 1 : Arrival

Kit reached for his phone only to find it missing from his back pocket. He rolled his eyes at himself, having done the same thing dozens of times that day already. After that dream and the mysterious egg app he really couldn't deal with carrying the device around all day. He hit a cigarette as he crossed a busy New York intersection, skipping his last few classes of the day in favor of a mental health break. Despite the fantastical and completely unrealistic nature of his dream, he couldn't help but carry the feeling of grieving with him. He felt such a connection to the two he'd watched that he knew they weren't strangers. Or at least wouldn't be strangers for long.

A horn blared at him as he stepped from the curb too soon, losing his focus as home grew nearer. Clearly he needed the day off, the haze that shrouded his brain was hardly productive for a scholastic setting. He waved past the doorman of his building, who greeted Kit with a suspicious side eye.

"Got out early for staff meetings! Calm down, Teddy!" He shook his head at the doorman, as if he should've known about the made-up early release. "Gotta stay on your game!"

He boarded the elevator, jamming his thumb against the penthouse button as he leaned against the interior wall. He let out a groan, mind suddenly swarming with fragmented images of the saga he'd dreamt.

"What is happening to my brain?!" His hands pressed against his temples in an attempt to suppress the images. He looked into the mirror on the wall across from him, his every day school uniform changing before his eyes into a white uniform like Cassi and Roy's. He squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them, only to see the uniform dissipate into data bits. He turned from the mirror to see Cassi standing before him, whispering 'help.' He waved his arms out, never touching her or disturbing the phantom that reached out. He backed away and pulled his head under his arms. Under his eyelids he found the images of demonic beings like those of his dreams and flung them back open immediately to find he was surrounded by the almost-real looking plants from his imaginary world. The elevator dinged and its door appeared in the trunk of a tree. He jumped out and ran away from the elevator, refusing to look back as he slammed his bedroom door and dove under the canopy of his four post bed.

He breathed deeply into his comforter. Kit sighed as the images ceased and his body calmed down. He lay motionless for a few more minutes, collecting himself in the safety of his bed before deciding to push up and observe his bedroom.

"Everything looks sane…" He mumbled to himself as he cautiously eyed the room around him. A loud notification tone trilled from his top drawer as he scanned past the dresser, causing his to jump and yelp in surprise. "I'm clearly developing a bad habit of 'speaking too soon.'" He slowly made his way to the drawer, inhaling as he opened it and grabbed his phone.

The mysteriously downloaded egg app was already up on his screen when he unlocked it. The egg itself had evidently hatched in his absence. He swiped the display in an attempt to find whatever had come from the digital incubator with no luck. He shrugged, a surprising feeling of disappointment bubbling in his belly. He'd expected something to come of his episode of psychosis. He set it back down on his dresser and turned away.

"Maybe I am just crazy," he sighed and fell back on his bed. The same notification tone called out to him again. "Or maybe someone is intensely gaslighting me." He pulled himself back up and reached for the phone. As his hand gripped the device, it swelled with bright, white light.

"Christian Bradley, you are not crazy," a masculine voice echoed from outside of his phone, "you are Destined." Pink energy, much like the plasma that had swallowed Cassi and Roy in his dream, began to rise from his glowing cell phone. "The images you've dreamt are glimpses into another world, a world in danger from incredibly dark and malevolent forces. The two you've witnessed were Chosen before you to stand against these forces and together they protected my world and all those inhabiting it. However, one has fallen and a new, stronger enemy has shown itself. Cassi cannot win this war alone."

The pink mass continued to bubble into Kit's bedroom as the voice spoke. His chest tightened, his mind flashing back the images he'd watched of Cassi and Roy and their strange animal partners standing against true evil. The sight of Roy bleeding on the battlefield resurfaced and Kit's hand gravitated to the spot of the wound he'd felt. Fear and doubt nipped at his thoughts. "Why me? What can I do to help?"

"You are powerful, Kit. You are Divine. You are the only one in your cluster that has seen what awaits you, yet you will be the first to accept your mission. The death and carnage will continue, my World will die…without your help." The voice grew deeper and reverberated against the walls around Kit.

Kit looked down at the menacingly metallic, bubblegum-like ooze engulfing his body. "You aren't giving me the option to accept. I'm Chosen whether I want it or not." His muscles relaxed as he understood the reality of what lay before him. "You're right, I wouldn't let your World fall apart without offering my help. But this isn't giving me the chance to accept."

The voice did not respond. Kit listened expectantly until he disappeared into the pink mass of energy.

"Sophia! I need cover!" Cassi Newark struggled against the might of a Porcupamon, her bladed, golden chain-whip wrapped around its arm and heeled, gold boots sinking into the hard, rocky terrain beneath her as she held her position.

A group of Phascomon had come up behind her, charging attacks aimed at Cassi's defenseless back.

Bolts of indigo, X-shaped energy rained down on the Demon Beast Digimon, reducing them to bits of black data. A Meicoomon landed in the remnant cloud. "Cover provided." Sophia turned sharply and lunged herself at the Puppet Digimon grappling with her partner. "Now for an assist! Tricho…" She inhaled, causing her furry chest to puff out and crackle with energy. "…bezoar!" A burst of furry lightning shot from her mouth.

The charged hairball left a clean hole in Porcupamon's chest and Cassi stumbled forward as the Digimon went limp.

"You shall fall to the Dark Masters, Human." It burst into data bits as it spoke its final message, leaving an ominous stillness in its wake.

"I thought we were done, Soph…" Cassi's scrunched, golden locks picked up in the breeze as she spoke, her blue eyes shaking with sadness as they looked to her small, cat-like partner.

Sophia's green eyes quivered back, feeling the depth of her Human's pain. "We will win this war, Cassi. I promise you, Roy will be avenged and we will get you home."

Cassi collapsed to her knees, pulling Sophia into her arms. The cat Digimon seemed to disappear into the fur of the vest Cassi wore, melting into the sobbing human as deeply as she could to provide any comfort she could.

The golden plated phone-like device attached to the golden belt around Cassi's waist chirped with an incoming message. She pulled it out and a holographic Piddomon rose from the screen.

"The threat has been neutralized, you can return to base."

Cassi collected herself quickly as he spoke, a gloved hand wiping tears from her freckled cheeks while her back straightened. "Heard. We'll be back soon, Paul. Possibly with new info regarding the threat source."

He hesitated. "Right. Get back here for debrief, you look like you could use some time in the med tent."

"Roger that," Sophia took the device. "Gold Team, out."

"Do you think he'll know what's up with the Dark Masters?" Cassi got up as she wondered aloud.

Sophia held out her paw, offering support. "We'll see. It doesn't register with me, but if it's a threat worth our time I'm sure Paul will have heard something."

"Maybe it's an empty threat, a lone wolf leftover, trying to scare us." They headed south away from their rocky, ocean-view battleground toward the Holy Army camp.

The collection of tents and small, pop-up trailers sat on the edge of the Pure Forest on a grassy plain. Soldiers in Cassi and Sophia's unit moved around slower and less meaningfully since the defeat of the Foot Soldiers of the Dark Area, lacking in direction in the recent requiem of peace. Roy's sacrifice seemed to have been worth it, as Cassi and Sophia and the Holy Army were able to overcome the advancing evil in the wake of his death. Though the other camps had disbanded and returned to their homes, Cassi's unit was sent a mysterious message from God himself to remain in place until otherwise instructed. After their battle with Porcupamon, she could only guess that the reason had everything to do with the Dark Masters.

She made her way to the central structure in the camp, a large dome that served as command central. She passed through the bubble as if it were air, pulling herself a chair beside Paul in front of a collection of projected surveillance screens.

"Who are the Dark Masters?" Her eyes bore into the silver mask that hid his, demanding a response.

He stuttered, looking around to see who was listening. His cropped, strawberry blonde hair shook from under his helmet in the motion, settling as he returned to face her. "Why are you asking?"

"That little battalion you sent us after was clearly a scouting troupe, they were weak and loyal and obedient." Cassi recalled, leaning back in her chair as she got to her point. "But the leader of their brigade warned me that I would 'fall to the Dark Masters.'" She watched him stiffen in his chair, clearly uncomfortable. "I'd really like to have at least some info about an ominous new threat to my life."

Paul got up, his wings ruffling out from under his white and purple Holy Army robes. "He's clearly trying to stir up a commotion to distract us from some real threat," he paced as he spoke, "the Dark Masters were defeated long ago." He smirked to himself, believing the history he had been taught. He leaned close, gripping Cassi's shoulder with a golden-ringed finger. "We'll figure out what's really coming, but I doubt it's them."

"Would it be so bad if it was them? If you're uncomfortable with even the mention of their name I really would rather avoid any conflict with them." Cassi shrugged out from under his grasp and out of her chair.

He followed her, his hands gravitating to her shoulders as he closed the space between them. "I'm telling you, Cassandra, there's no way – " Sophia rushed in, interrupting his thoughts and causing Cassi to jerk away.

"There's been a major disturbance in the Zenith Field." The cat Digimon huffed, clearly alarmed.

Cassi followed her partner back outside, Paul close on her heels, all three suddenly in war-mode.

Pillars of bright, vibrant light swirled in the grassy plain of the field north of camp. The energy stirred up winds and flung debris, too far away to reach camp but close enough to see and hear the disturbance.

"What are they?" Cassi asked, instinctively reaching for the golden device on her waist.

"It better not be these Dark Masters that are threatening us," Sophia grumbled, her luxurious, white mane puffed out aggressively.

"No, it's just like…" Paul hovered toward it, his wings seeming to move on their own.

Cassi looked after him, waiting for a finished sentence. "…just like what?"

"Like you and Roy…" he mumbled, awed. "I think…"

"He's sending more DigiDestined?" Sophia guessed.

Cassi gripped Paul's bicep as she grew faint and stumbled. "It is them, Paul." A sob caught in her throat. "Why else would he call five new DigiDestined?"

Kit staggered out of the churning vortex of pink energy. He looked around at four others emerging from their own colored twister before collapsing to the grassy ground beneath him. The howling wind died down as the other four followed Kit to the ground and all five pillars of light dissipated.

Cassi, Paul and Sophia stood looking over the five unconscious teens. Sophia approached a dark haired girl that had emerged from the blue vortex and prodded her curiously.

"I'm glad our enemies didn't see their entrance," the Meicoomon murmured as she walked around the circle of knocked out bodies. "Sleeping on the job is not intimidating." She softly kicked a green-booted foot of a ginger-haired girl.

Cassi knelt to check the pulse of the boy who had come via purple vortex, counting under her breath. "At least they survived the trip. Did Roy and I pass out like this?" She looked up at Paul, who hovered over a pink-pigtailed girl with yellow accenting her mostly white uniform.

"Yes, you did," he answered with a slight smirk. "I can imagine it's a rough trip." A screen opened over the yellow vortex girl with an image of her, golden-yellow eyes awake and looking out, accompanied by a block of DigiText. "Mandi Xu, 15, female…"

"Oh, that's neat," Cassi perked up at the sight of his holographic personnel file. "Do that to this guy!"

"Check your DigiVice," Paul smirked, hovering to Kit.

"Well, look at that!" A holograph with info about the boy in purple appeared over her phone-like device. "Brenton Dax, 17."

"This one is Kit Bradley, 15, male…" He glanced down at the pink-vested blonde and back at his screen. "Strange looking male." The Piddomon moved a veil of hair from Kit's face to examine his effeminate features.

"Gender and sex are not always the same thing with humans," Cassi warned as she moved to the dark haired girl with a blue accented uniform. "Taylor Morton, 15."

"What about this one?" Sophia swatted the red-heads twitching foot.

"Tara Marx, 16, female," Paul answered.

"Their uniforms are so much more colorful than mine and Roy's," Cassi remarked as she rejoined Paul and Sophia, smacking her Meicoomon's paw away from Tara's boot.

"Aren't gold and silver precious in the Analog World?" Paul reminded her.

"How long do you think they'll be out for?" Sophia wondered.

As if on cue, Mandi sat up with a groan of discomfort. "Ugh, my head." She leaned forward to hide her golden-yellow eyes in her gloved hands.

"What a trip!" Brenton pushed up onto his knees, grey eyes scanning the scene around him.

"What am I wearing?!" Taylor spun as she stood, looking down at her ensemble. "I did not agree to cosplay."

"This does not look like a war-torn, crumbling planet in danger," Tara observed as she looked at the peaceful, grassy plain they landed on. "I dig the ocean view, though."

Kit lay staring up at the sky, unmoving. Brenton gravitated toward him, looking down into his pensive, red eyes.

"Ya alright down there, cutie?" His dark hair rustled in a light breeze, the sun beaming from behind him. "Need a hand?" He offered a purple-gloved hand.

Kit's pink-gloved hand gripped it, a blush heating his cheeks. "Uh, thanks."

"Well, now that we're all awake – " Cassi announced, smiling, " – welcome to Digital World Eden!"

"Who are you?" Taylor demanded snidely.

"What is a Digital World?" Mandi asked.

"Eden?" Tara pondered the name.

"Alright, kids, not all at once," Paul interrupted, shaking his head at the sudden barrage of queries.

"Cassi, Paul, Sophia," Kit pointed at each as he spoke their names. "And I'm Kit."

Cassi blinked, somewhat stunned. "How did you know us?"

"You must be a Dreamer," Paul nodded in understanding.

"We can do that, too," Sophia scoffed, crossing her arms and turning her head, unimpressed. She jerked a thumb at the red-head behind her. "That's Tara," her paw moved to the next, "and Taylor."

"I'm Brenton," the tall, lanky boy said to Kit, still holding his hand.

"And I'm Mandi," the pink-pigtailed girl waved a hand to remind the others she was there. "But I feel like why we're here is a little more important than introductions…just sayin.'"

"Of course!" Paul agreed. "First, let's retreat to camp."

"He's right, you guys might want to have a seat." Cassi looked at them each in the eye. "It gets kinda heavy."

"Follow me!" Sophia scurried to lead the group, dragging Cassi toward the edge of the forest with her.

The group followed from the ocean-side, grassy cliff to the border of a lush, green forest where the small settlement of Holy Army soldiers waited. As they entered the camp, the newcomers became the center of attention. Cassi and Paul shooed away any of the Digimon who tried to stop them, making it clear they had business to attend to before introductions could be made. As they reached the shielded heart of the base camp, Sophia, Paul and Cassi passed through the barrier with ease while their followers were trapped outside.

"Hey, I think we're – " Mandi knocked on the transparent wall.

A door opened before she could finish her observation. "Sorry, security measure." Paul chuckled when she stumbled through the door. "Once you have your DigiVices you'll have clearance for entry."

"DigiVices?" Tara pressed, intrigued.

Cassi pulled her device from its belt holster. "Here's mine."

"What's it do?" The red-head asked as she leaned in to observe it.

"They're the most important tool in a DigiDestined's arsenal," Paul answered. "Aside from acting as identification for you, they provide communication between each of you, your team and me here at command central."

"They have GPS capabilities, status analysis of yourself and your Digimon Partner," Cassi continued, "and they transform into your own personalized weapon."

"Wait," Taylor interrupted, "so, your phone turns into a weapon?" She tried to snatch it from Cassi's hand but it zapped her with a bolt of golden energy.

Cassi chuckled. "Sorry, it only allows the person it was built for to touch it. But yes, it becomes a weapon."

"Yours is like a scorpion-tailed chain whip, right?" Kit remembered, thinking back to his dream.

The others looked over at him with varying expressions of intrigue and suspicion.

"Yeah, you're right," Sophia answered for her Partner, confused at the reaction toward Kit's unexplained insight.

"So, uh, when do we get ours?" Kit uncomfortably redirected the conversation.

Paul shook his head back to the present and turned to a newly appeared screen and tapped a series of buttons. "Right now is as good as any time!" A silver, cylindrical pedestal rose from the ground. "This device will scan your DNA and form your personal DigiVice. Kit, would you do the honors?"

Kit looked around apprehensively at the others. He breathed in and stepped forward. "Yeah, of course."

"Place your hand on the center scanner, please," Paul instructed.

Kit did as he was told, the others holding their breath as they watch the machine whir to life. A white glow enveloped his hand, the light momentarily blinding anyone that looked into it directly. It faded just as fast as it appeared, leaving only a pink-accented, white, digital watch in its place.

"Is that it?" Brenton asked, looking over Kit's shoulder at the new accessory. "I thought they were phones?"

"Yeah, me too," Cassi looked confused as well.

Tara hip-bumped Kit out of the way and slapped her palm on the pedestal. "Let's see what mine looks like." Another burst of light left the same watch, with green in place of Kit's pink, on her wrist.

"Looks like the new kids got new toys," Sophia mused.

Paul's fingers dragged out a spec screen over Tara's DigiVice. "Interesting. Same functions as Cassi's, wrapped up in new packaging."

"I think I'm feeling kinda jealous," Cassi thought out loud, looking at her own device with disappointment.

"Maybe you're contract is almost up for renewal?" Brenton suggested as he placed his hand on the pedestal.

"What's that thing Roy always used to say?" Sophia scratched her chin as she thought. "'If it ain't broke, don't fix it?' Right?"

Cassi laughed to herself. "Yeah, you're right." She scooped up her Partner and the two settled onto a stool that appeared from nowhere.

"Do our colors, like, mean something?" Taylor asked as she looked over her blue-rimmed watch.

"I'm not really sure," Paul answered. "God doesn't give us all the specifics."

"I think he might be kinda racist," Mandi shrugged as she received her DigiVice. "Or nostalgic. The whole 'Asians in yellow' thing is way 90s."

"I'm gonna guess there's a reason outside of that," Cassi mumbled awkwardly.

"Yellow has traditionally been the color of Hope in Eden," Paul said. "But that was before the Crests were converted into power sources."

"Uh-oh, I feel more questions brewing," Sophia giggled.

"The feline is right," Brenton agreed. "Explanation time is here."

"Alright," Paul nodded, leaning back in his chair as he waved his arms out at the new DigiVice carriers. Chairs appeared beneath each of them, and they sat. "Get comfortable, we've got a lot of exposition to get through."

The five new recruits sat obediently, immediately engrossed.

"First and foremost, you lot are what are known as 'DigiDestined.'" Cassi began. "'DigiDestined' is a term used to describe humans brought to this World to defend it."

"Eden has a long history of relying on human interference as a last line of defense," Paul explained. "Those Chosen to fight for us are selected based on an innate desire to protect innocents and defend what they believe is right."

"And to assist them in their battle, each DigiDestined is Partnered with a Digimon that compliments their personal virtues," Sophia added, "and given a DigiVice to solidify the link between human and Digimon."

"Eden itself is part of a larger system known as the Network and composed completely of the data from your World, known here as the Analog World." Paul continued to explain, watching his audience's faces for signs of confusion or overwhelm.

"Analog?" Taylor strained her eyes looking to the angel Digimon for understanding.

"Yes, because this World and the others in the Network are known as 'Digital' Worlds," he responded.

"So, we're basically inside the Internet right now?" One of Mandi's eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Basically, yeah," Cassi shrugged.

"It's a bit more complex than that, though," Sophia interjected. "The Network originally came into existence thanks to the development of the Internet and its utilization for storage and exchange of information. The being known as 'God' was born from the pure, unformed data flow and in turn he used that data to create his Digital Worlds to better understand the information he was composed of."

"Sounds a whole lot like our own creation stories," Brenton commented.

"Of course," Paul shrugged the comment off. "We're simply a mirror of your World that evolved into its own, parallel universe due to a variant interpretation of your gathered experience of the Analog World."

"Why does your God use humans to fight its wars?" Kit asked. "Why can't he create his own version?"

"God has tried to emulate humanity and its intricacies, but the humanoids formed from his attempts lack something called a 'DigiSoul.'" Sophia said.

"A DigiSoul is the energy formed from being a biological entity immersed in our inorganic environment," Paul tried to simplify as best as he could. "And it also comes from the higher intelligences humans are capable of that Digital beings aren't able to fully develop on their own, such as emotions and morality."

"You can't feel or determine good and bad?" Taylor asked, skeptical.

"To an extent," Sophia clarified, "but our ability to do that was developed over time with the aid of humans and the Crest Core Crystals that are used to power this World."

"At the very beginning, Digimon were purely survival instinct," Cassi added.

"Aside from Angel Digimon, like me, who were created with limited higher intelligences in the image of God himself." Paul clearly took pride in this fact. "However, Holy Digimon come from a different Digital World known as the Kernel, where God resides."

"Hey, not all Holy Digimon are born in the Kernel!" Sophia scoffed, crossing her paws. "I was born in New Beginnings!"

"New Beginnings Village is where all new Digimon are born," Cassi said, "and where we'll go to meet your Partners."

"When do we get to meet them?" Mandi asked, excited.

Paul looked outside the bubble at the darkening sky. "We will wait for the morning. With a new threat rearing up it isn't safe to traverse the forest during the night, especially without your Partners."

"That brings up the most important question – " Tara segue-wayed, " – what threat were we brought here to fight, exactly?"

"And do we even stand a chance?" Kit added. "How many of us are going to end up like Roy?" His eyes met Cassi's as he spoke, demanding the others know what he had witnessed in his sleep.

"Who exactly is Roy?" Taylor was alarmed at the question. "And how did he 'end up?'"

"Roy was the human that Cassi arrived with," Sophia answered, looking up at her human to gauge her response. "He died in battle with Matadrmon, leader of the Foot Soldiers of the Dark Area."

Cassi's eyes dropped from Kit's gaze and averted meeting anyone else's. "He and I were brought here when the Foot Soldiers began their assault on Eden. We fought them and won, but he gave the ultimate sacrifice so that this World could survive."

"He died a hero, and not in vain." Paul's chair hovered closer to Cassi as he reached an arm around her shoulders in consolation. "However, they were not operating alone."

"What did they want?" Mandi asked.

"And who were they working with?" Brenton added.

"The group that we defeated was evidently under the control of a much more powerful group known as the Dark Masters," Cassi sighed and ran a shaky hand through her hair. "And they want to corrupt the Crest Core Crystals so that they can claim Eden under the rule of the Dark Area."

"Is the Dark Area another Digital World?" Taylor asked, trying to piece together the universe they were now a part of.

"No." Cassi's answer was blunt and her tone dripped with hatred, sounding almost offended at the idea.

Paul's grip tightened on her shoulder. "She's correct to an extent. The Dark Area and God's Network exist parallel to each other, but because they exist so closely they intersect." He looked to each new DigiDestined to assess their understanding of his explanation. The looks of confusion and expectation made him chuckle uncomfortably. "Cassi? Some help?"

She sighed, clearly tired of all things related to the Dark Area. "I guess the way I'd explain it would be by comparing God's Network to our Earth's solar system. The Dark Area would be a neighboring galaxy that we could visit with the help of wormholes or blackholes or…whatever…that have formed sporadically throughout our galaxy."

"And it was originally formed to store deleted or corrupt data that originated in God's Network," Sophia added.

"Wow, talk about complex," Mandi dipped her head in Sophia's direction, seeing the Meicoomon's point.

"So, these groups attacking Eden from the Dark Area are basically alien invaders trying to conquer the Network?" Brenton's face was twisted up in thought, still connecting dots in his mind.

"None of that explains what they want with this World, either," Kit pointed out. "What makes God's Network so important that they want it for themselves?"

"The rulers of the Dark Area were originally high-ranking officials in God's court," Paul admitted, "but they were exiled from the Network when they attempted an uprising."

Cassi's eyes rolled. "And they pretty much never let go of the grudge. So now they want to destroy everything God has created to spite him. It's really very petty."

"Most wars are," Taylor mused.

"Their focus tends to be directed toward Eden specifically because it was the original Digital World, and the one they had been tasked with protecting before they revolted," Paul explained further.

"And the 'Crest Core Crystals' have something to do with the 'how,' I'm guessing?" Tara assumed, circling back to yet another unexplained topic.

"Look at them go, making connections all on their own," Sophia nuzzled against Cassi proudly.

Cassi shook her head at the feline Digimon. "I'm sure they weren't just Chosen for their good looks, Soph."

"The Crest Core Crystals are an integral part of this World's functioning," Paul ignored the DigiDestined and her Partner, "so, the Foot Soldiers and now the Dark Masters hope to corrupt them in hopes of gaining a foothold in the Network."

"So, we just have to stop them from corrupting the Crystal," Tara nodded. "Sounds easy enough."

"How many Crystals are there?" Kit wondered.

Cassi began counting out fingers. Paul chuckled and put a hand over her fingers. "There are 13 all together, but two are inaccessible to anyone but DigiDestined thanks to firewalls and bio-security features around the islands they're located on."

"But the rest are on the mainland and much easier targets," Sophia added.

"And I'm gonna guess relying on the two they can't reach isn't an option?" Brenton asked, hopeful that he was incorrect.

"We probably wouldn't be here if that were a thing," Taylor's eyes rolled as they looked over at him.

"She's right," Cassi agreed. "Eden will start to crumble around us if even one is taken over."

"Seems like it was a poorly thought-out design," Mandi mumbled, mostly to herself.

"The Crest Core Crystals are guarded very heavily by some of the strongest Digimon in our World," Paul retorted defensively.

"Former DigiDestined Partners, to be exact," Sophia stated with confidence. "Most of them have saved this World more than once, they're in capable hands."

"But since their human Partners are no longer able to pass through the Zenith Field's gate they're not as powerful as they were," Cassi added honestly. "And so we're here to pick up the slack."

Brenton perked up to ask another question, but Paul held up a hand and shook his head. "The Zenith Field is the barrier between the Analog and Digital Worlds."

The human boy winked at the Digital angel with a slight nod. "Good lookin' out, Paul."

"I know it's a lot of information to digest, but what it all comes down to is the simple fact that we are here to ensure the safety of this World." Cassi got up, holding Sophia to her chest as she prepared to take her leave. "And we are stuck here until we've played our part." She leaned close to Paul and left a kiss on his cheek. "I need to get some rest, and you guys should think about doing the same."

"Goodnight, new kids!" Sophia waved as they exited the bubble.

Paul sighed as he got up, watching the two walk away. "She might seem a bit closed off now, but before Roy…" He struggled with the words, shaking his head and moving on when he couldn't bring himself to say it. "It'll just take some time. She'll warm up to you all." He motioned for them to follow.

The five newcomers got up and fell in line, passing through the security bubble hesitantly but with ease. The Piddomon led them through the now-empty campsite to a circle of five tents around a fire.

"Your tents will unlock for your DigiVices, and they should be programmed to your liking but feel free to adjust the settings once you're inside," Paul said as he waved an arm toward their new homes. "We left you a fire in case you're not quite ready to sleep. You've got a lot to sort through, I'm sure." He turned to leave. "You'll all be alerted when Cassi and Sophia are ready to depart for New Beginnings."

While the others instinctively settled beside the crackling fire, Kit turned away to jog after Paul.

"Hey, Paul?" Kit walked beside the hovering angel, a question burning in his mind since before they left their arrival spot.

"Yes, Kit?" Paul stopped and turned to the pink-clad teen.

Kit looked back at his fellow DigiDestined, lowering his voice. "What did you mean? When you said I must be a Dreamer?"

Paul chuckled. "In each DigiDestined grouping there's been a member with a greater connection to God than the others. God speaks to them directly, and sometimes through them while they're in his domain."

Kit's skin crawled, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "Why me, though?"

Paul seemed to understand the discomfort in Kit's voice. "Well, the vessels he's chosen in the past have always been empathic and pure-of-heart. They were divine even in the Analog World, which I understand is rare for humans."

"I…I'm nothing special," Kit looked away, eyes threatening to tear up.

"You are all special," Paul put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "or you wouldn't have been Chosen."

Kit sighed. "I don't want to be, then, I guess."

"Very few who are Destined for greatness desire the path that is Chosen for them." He gently turned Kit back toward the fire. "But you are not alone, and these strangers will become your strongest bonds. Be with them, get to know who they are. You will need them in more ways than you have yet to imagine."

Paul turned and left, leaving Kit alone to watch as the others conversed across the flickering flames. He breathed into his diaphragm, holding it for a second before exhaling and stepping forward to join them.

"Pop a squat, Pink," Brenton smacked the ground beside him.

"Mandi was recounting her most recent adventure as a Park Avenue party-girl," Taylor smirked, scooting over a little to make room for Kit.

Mandi resituated herself to better see their late joiner."I mean, c'mon, it's not every party that ends with me in a different universe!"

"Well, you've apparently been to every party so it had to happen at some point," Tara gave her a teasing side-eye.

"Whatever!" Mandi smacked her red-headed neighbor's shoulder. "So, like I was saying, I got in and there was this huge fixture hanging from the ceiling literally crawling with live monkeys…"

The group recounted their exits from the Analog World, slowly getting to know each other and bond in their mutual destinies. When the fire was burnt to embers in the pit, they scattered to their individual tents to sleep away what little of the night was left.


End file.
